


What Might Have Been

by Demenior



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, just a taste of what might have been, no animorphs characters are in this bit but you can see where they would have come in, this is unfinished and will remain so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 04:36:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1332118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demenior/pseuds/Demenior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look at how I was going to do the Animorphs/Avengers mashup. The Yeerk War is a current event (that no one knows about) and Tobias and Hawkeye are very different people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Might Have Been

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Black Holes and Revelations](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1006373) by [Demenior](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demenior/pseuds/Demenior). 



> This is how I was originally going to start/write Black Holes and Revelations, but ultimately decided with the format of Tobias becoming Clint and the Avengers being formed after the Yeerk War, and not during.
> 
> In this version Coulson was captured by Yeerks while investigating the Sharing, and saved by the Animorphs who starved the Yeerk in his head out and learned about SHIELD through him. No one knows who the Animorphs are, other than the fact that SHIELD can't interfere without risking all-out war atm. There's a scene floating around my tumblr that details the moment that Fury and co. discover just who (and how old) the Animorphs really are

Tony was just finishing a rare, but pleasing as in _why didn’t he do this more often_ shower, when Jarvis interrupted him.

“Sir, Director Fury is on the line.”

Tony braced for stepping out of the warm steam, reaching for his hot towel, “Jarvis I’m having a little me-time. Tell him to call back later.”

“He refuses to take no for an answer, sir.”

“Pepper invited Coulson for dinner, so tell Fury to give him whatever. Or send it to him, whatever.” Agent ‘Phil’ Coulson had been doing something super secretive out in California. What could be so scary on the west coast, Tony had no idea. Anything worth protecting was here on the east with New York, the President and Pepper.

“Agent Fury is demanding to be pu—” Jarvis made some static sounds, and then went silent.

“Oh my god,” Tony braced himself, pulling his towel around his waist.

“Stark!” Fury’s voice rang through the bathroom, “take me off speakerphone immediately.”

“I don’t _have_ any phone near me I just got out of the shower!” Tony shouted, “can’t this wait?”

“Stark get a goddamn phone and make sure it’s _private_ ,” Fury snarled.

There was that authoritative ‘I’m the boss’ sound in his voice that Tony absolutely hated. It boiled his blood and made him want to do the exact opposite. But Fury knew this—in fact he always sent Coulson to deal with Tony for that very reason. Pepper liked Coulson, and Tony _really_ liked Pepper. Ergo, Coulson could ask Pepper to ask Tony to do things and Tony _usually_ did those things. If Fury was coming straight to him… then something was wrong.

His Bluetooth wasn’t too far away, stashed on the sink counter because Tony hated being disconnected for too long, and it was his own secure network. Many had tried to hack him, all had failed.

“What’s going on?” Tony asked.

“You need to pack your things and prepare to leave immediately. I can’t tell you where you are going or how long. Bring Pepper and only those you keep closest to you. You cannot, I repeat, you _cannot_ tell anyone you are leaving or why.”

Tony had been about to hunt for a clean pair of pants but stopped, “What the hell is going on?”

“I can only explain when you arrive. Leave anything traceable behind—or we’ll destroy it.”

“Fury what the hell?” Tony demanded, “is this something to do with Coulson? Is he okay?”

“Stark I repeat—bring yourself and Miss Potts and get your asses down to the airport incognito _immediately_.”

The line went dead.

“Shit,” Tony muttered, “shit, shit, shit. Jarvis! Call pepper! Tell her she needs to come home right now—but tell her to be calm!”

He scrambled to find a bag to put clothes in. What would Pepper want? Who did he have to take with him? Tony didn’t keep a lot of people in his inner circle. Rhodney? No—he was too far away. Tony could fill him in depending on what was going down. Happy? No—that was too many people.  He was visiting his family upstate. The less he knew, the safer he was, Tony decided. How many _iron_ suits could Tony fit into his luggage?

He wasn’t sure what about Fury’s message had spooked him—but bad things were going down. Seriously bad things. This time, Toby would be prepared to fight them off.

 

Tony had only been blindfolded—forcibly—once before in his life. That hadn’t turned out so well, with all the metal waiting to get into his heart and all. He wasn’t in a good mood when Fury pulled the hood off of his head.

Pepper gasped in surprise, “Nick what’s going on? Where are we going?”

“We’re on a plane, heading somewhere secure,” Fury said, “and that’s all I can tell you. For now.”

The room they were in was dark—nearly blacked out. None of the windows were open and Tony had a feeling they were sealed shut.

Tony got out of his seat and moved because he couldn’t stand still if they were in danger, “What’s the damage? What’s coming for us?”

Fury shook his head, “Sit down Stark. I can’t give you anything until we land. As long as all of you are agreeable, we’ll be just fine.”

“Agreeable? What does that mean?” Pepper asked. She was looking far too calm for someone who had been expecting Tony to ask her for a lunch-break quickie or even surprise her with a nice vacation just an hour ago.

Tony felt like being petchulent, as Fury hadn’t been kidding about electronics and all of his and Pepper’s things had been dumped save for a change of clothing for both of them. They’d even left Tony’s _suit_ behind.

“It means that in a little bit I’ll be sure if I can trust you or not,” Fury said calmly. He leaned back in his seat, apparently settling in for a long ride.

Tony didn’t miss the glimpse of his gun at his side. The threat was clear. This was some high-level shit. Something had gone wrong, and Tony felt like it had to be something to do with Coulson. That, or maybe Fury had finally lost it.

Tony hated feeling powerless and he had no suit to help him protect Pepper right now. He forced himself to sit next to her, maintaining eye contact with Fury (which not too hard—though he was never sure to look at the patch or the eye) and took Peppers hand in his own. She squeezed him tightly. He never let go.

 

They were in a safehouse. Where? Tony had no idea. The weather was temperate, or at least inside the house was. There were no windows—they were probably underground. Tony and Pepper were led to a room with only one door—and Fury locked it once they were all inside.

There were only a few people inside that Tony recognized immediately. It was the Avengers crew—or at least all the ones with names that he remembered. Including Maria Hill.

Bruce was the first on his feet, “What is going on? You said I wasn’t going to be involved anymore!” Notably, many people took a step back. No one wanted a rage beast crushing them inside a locked room.

Fury held up his hand to calm everyone down, “I know we all got some questions, but we’re going to be spending a little bit of time here together.

“How long?” Natasha asked. She and Barton were sitting in the corner, watching everyone else.

“Four days,” Fury announced, “in this room.”

Steve and Hill looked ready to argue. They were sitting next to—

“Phil!” Pepper shouted, “oh my god what happened to you?”

Coulson looked like he’d been through a blender. There were cuts that looked like they were made with blades all over his face and down his arms. He was actually wearing shorts—still covered in blood. There was an unconscious agent tied to a chair behind him.

“What the hell happened to you?” Tony shouted, surprised.

Coulson laughed, though it was bitter, “California happened.”

**Author's Note:**

> What are timelines? NO ONE KNOWS.


End file.
